The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-10-22
HOW T. LOST MY FOOT.
The One Timc When Forgot, and What 4
Cost Me.


Cost Me.
This is how it happened: Father AND
mother had gone to Grandma Smith
sons to stay over night. When they
left, their last words were: "Mary,
take good care of the children tlt
l am Mary, and although Hattie is
two years older, it was always l who
received the last word of admonition.
1t seemed enough for Hattie to simply
look pretty; nobody expected any thing
else of her. She would smile and
shake her curls and say she could not
bear responsibility; she had no time for
it. But what she did all the day long no
one ever knew; it was enough that she
made sunshine wherever she went.
But was different. Twas not pretty;
] was not bright, and l am afraid /
was not always good-naturcd. The
boys used to say that L could not take
a joke like Hattie; but / have some
times thought l might have done so
had received the same kind Of jokes
Hattie did. Many n night would
turn my face to the wall, after she had
fallen asleep, and cry softly to myself
because was not like her. But l have
learned since then that it is best we are
not all made alike. If father or mother
told me to remember any thing, usu-
ally remembered; if Hattie was told,
she was sure to forget. But she would
be so swcctly penitent that she was al
ways forgiven. And so it was that as
we badc them good-by, father patted
Hattie's curls and called her his gay
little sunshine, and mother turned to
me with the warning about the chill
dren. Oh, how my heart ached for the
bright pet name and the caressing
hand on my head, even if my hair did
not curl. l was simply darll-haired
Mary. / rejoiced in Hattie's beauty as
much as any one, but 1 could not see
why, when there was so much beauty
in the world, could not have had u
little, too. ...........
Besides Hattie and me, there were
the twins Fred and Frank. used to
wonder, if they were capable of doing
SO much mischief at six, what they
would be at twelve, and trcmbled at
the thought. The hot, weary tramps l
have taken over fields and meadows in
search of those two boys are too num-
erous to mention; the number of times
imminent peril it is impossible to tell.
But L must tell about the time did
not remember, and what it cost me.
We stood OH the front porch, watch
ing father and mother drive away, un-
til they disappeared mt the turn in the
road. Then the boys started for the
barn at full run, with many warning
words, all unhccdcd, ringing in their
ears, while Hattie and took the books
which father had given rs the day be-
fore, and made ourselves comfortable
for long days reading. Hattie swung
dered off to my favorite seat in the
| gnarled old apple tree at the farther
end of the orchard. l climbed up
where the twisted branches made the
most delightful seat ever sat in, and
with my feet swinging over the little
brook that washed its roots and gave i,
life, opened my book and com.
menced to read 1.-THE Old-fashioned
Girl" I think that the reason father
selected this one for me was be.
cause he thought the title suited me;
but he little imagined the absorbing
pleasure I would find in it. Is it any
wonder that forgot every thing
mothers warning, the mischief-lovine
boys, the old applc-tree and the rip,
ping brook-every thing save Ton
and Fannie and dear old-fashioned
Polly? Al'st 'ife 4ta ~ r.,
The sun mounted higher and higher
and the shadows began to lean toward
the cast, and still read on. AS heard
the long whistle of the afternoon trair
at the curve a mile away, look up from
my book with dreamy eyesland far across
the sloping meadow down to the rail
road track, winding its serpentinc way
through the valley. l started. and my
wandering gaze was fixed with horror
as saw two tiny forms sitting on thu
white sand between the glittering rails
Instantly my book was forgotten ant
flung from me. sprang from thu
tree, bounded over the brook, nnt
started as fast as could run dow
through the meadow. raised one vile
cry for help-I had no breatl
to spare for more-and hard
ly thought that would be heard. /
seemed to me that / scarcely moved n
/ heard the train approaching nearc
and nearer, and saw those two babies
MI unconscious of danger, sitting there
absorbed in digging in the white SAM
and piling it in heaps beside them.
thought of the horrible homecoming o
father and mother if I should be to-
late, and on flew. There was hig
fence and steep cmbankment to elm
before l could reach them. and rs th
train came in sight l tried to call t
them; but my voice was only a husk
pant. 1t came fearfully near bcfor
they became aware of its presence, an
they jumped up only to become spell
bound with fright. sprang forwar
and seized them; but as Ibid so m
foot caught fast under the rail, and
only had time to throw them from m
when tho train rushed by.
knew nothing of what. happene